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quote:
ORIGINAL: heavyblinker quote:
ORIGINAL: CreativeDominant quote:
ORIGINAL: heavyblinker I am really tired of the argument that since a few people made flawed predictions about the future, it must mean that all predictions about the future lack credibility. I'm not saying this is a prophecy or set in stone, and of course there are all kinds of variables at play... but skepticism should depend on relevant evidence, not attacks on the credibility of 'smart people'. Ahhh..."relevant evidence"...In January 1970, Life Magazine reported, “Scientists have solid experimental and theoretical evidence to support…the following predictions: In a decade, urban dwellers will have to wear gas masks to survive air pollution…by 1985 air pollution will have reduced the amount of sunlight reaching earth by one half….” Again...the SOLID, RELEVANT EVIDENCE...was wrong. You obviously didn't understand the point I was trying to make, and the fact that you didn't says a lot about why denialism works so well on people like you. The evidence you attack needs to be RELEVANT TO EACH PREDICTION. This is very basic logic. You aren't actually attacking the specific prediction, you are attacking 'smart people' with 'fancy degrees' who make predictions based on 'solid experimental and theoretical evidence'. The conclusion you are drawing here is that since this prediction was wrong, it follows that there's a good chance every single prediction that scientists make about the future will also be wrong. You're trying to give everyone in the class a zero on an exam because someone got a single question wrong, and you're not even looking at why they got the question wrong in the first place, or whether or not the prediction was an absolute or whether it depended on measures not being taken to reduce air pollution. They think that works to "disprove" the theory of evolution (it doesn't, but they don't appear to have noticed that), so they extend the same approach to other bits of science that they dislike (like the evidence for AGW) as well as attempts at prediction. It's hardly surprising to see the approach extended to cover any sort of expertise as a whole, is it?
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